October 24, 2022 By Carol Britton Meyer
Special Town Meeting warrants with an eye-catching orange cover are arriving in the mailboxes of every Hingham household to alert residents of the Nov. 1 date and to provide information about the three warrant articles that appear on the agenda --funding for a proposed new Foster School and new public safety facility and the creation of a special stabilization fund.
Town Meeting will be held at Hingham High School, 17 Union St., on Tuesday, Nov. 1, starting at 7 p.m. There will also be outdoor seating for those who prefer it.
Town Administrator Tom Mayo predicts that the crowd could be as large as the one that attended the Town Meeting when a vote was taken on the potential acquisition of the water company -- about 2,000 citizens.
Town Moderator Michael Puzo shared his thoughts about the Town Meeting process with the Hingham Anchor: "In its governance, Hingham has long maintained a tradition of having the people serve as the town’s legislature; of having the people take responsibility for deciding issues of critical importance to the community.
We do this through Open Town Meeting, where each registered voter who takes part in the meeting does so with 'voice and vote.' In many ways, the essential character of Hingham -- one founded on self-governance, citizen engagement, and voluntarism -- flows from our continuing commitment to the institution that is Town Meeting," he said.
Articles 1 and 2 ask voters to approve funding for a new Foster School and a new public safety facility, respectively.
Based on the Massachusetts School Building Authority's approved total project budget for Foster School of $113.3 million and an expected 40.54% partial reimbursement from the state, the town's share would be about $88.7 million. Voters at the STM will be asked to appropriate the full amount upfront.
Approval of the Foster School project would result in an average property tax increase of about $396 per year for the median assessed property value of $739,400.
Under Article 2, voters will be asked to appropriate an amount of up to $46.7 million for a new public safety facility, with an anticipated property tax impact of about $258 per year.
This project also affects the needs of the Senior Center. The 2020 Annual Town Meeting authorized funds to redesign this facility, incorporating space at Town Hall currently used by the Police Department if the public safety facility project moves forward. Work would not begin on the Senior Center until the Central Street Police Department has been vacated.
A third warrant article seeks approval to transfer $7 million in excess unassigned fund balance to create a Capital Project Cost and Debt Service Stabilization Fund to help defray the cost of these projects if one or both gains a two-thirds vote at Town Meeting and a subsequent majority ballot vote on Nov. 8. Both are required to move either or both projects forward.
The Advisory Committee and Select Board voted unanimously to support all three articles, and the AC's recommendations and explanations of each article are included in the warrant.
"On Tuesday, Nov. 1, at 7 p.m., we will have a Special Town Meeting, the primary purpose of which will be to consider issues regarding two major capital projects -- a new elementary school and a new public safety facility," Puzo reminds Hingham voters.
Those planning to attend are asked to arrive by 6:30 p.m. so that the meeting can start promptly at 7 p.m.
"Self-governance is both a profound privilege and a civic responsibility," said Puzo, who is asking voters to "please be present on Tuesday, Nov. 1, and take part in the entirety of the proceedings."
The town's outreach about the two projects includes videos, public information sessions, tours, details about project costs and associated tax impacts, and the permitting status for each project.
The remaining schedule is as follows:
Public Tours of Current Facilities
- Tuesday, Oct. 25, 5-7 p.m. -- North Fire Station, Police Station, Senior Center, Foster Elementary School.
- Thursday, Oct. 27, 12-2 p.m. -- North Fire Station, Police Station, Senior Center.
A series of "Special Town Meeting Question of the Week" videos about the two projects and additional information is available at https://www.hingham-ma.gov/241/Town-Meeting.
Voters are encouraged to read the STM warrant to learn the details of all three articles in order to make informed decisions and to bring the warrant with them. Town Meeting procedures are also outlined.
A talent bank application is included at the back of the warrant for citizens who would like to serve on a town board, commission, or committee in an unelected position.
The warrant is also available on the town website at https://www.hingham-ma.gov/241/Town-Meeting.